20 complaints reported

1997 Ford Mustang Seat Belts

Owner-reported problems and safety issues filed with NHTSA. Review common failures, severity levels, and complaint trends over time.

Reports
20
Crashes
2
Fires
0
Injuries
2

Complaint Timeline

Chronological view of owner reports

Dec 2006 Crash

1997 FORD MUSTANG PASSENGER SIDE SEAT BELT WILL NOT RETRACT, DRIVERS SIDE RETRACTS ABOUT 98% OF THE TIME, 2% OF THE TIME, ITS RENDERED USELESS LIKE THE PASSENGER SIDE. FORD NOTIFIED, WAS TOLD IT WAS "OWNER ERROR". I DON'T THINK SO. *JB

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 1997 FORD MUSTANG, Manufacturer: Ford Motor Company
Incident: May 2006
Aug 2005

DRIVERS SIDE SEAT BELT FAILS TO FUNCTION, WILL NOT CATCH/STOP FORWARD MOTION WHEN JERKED/PULL ON. I ASK MECHANIC TO LOOK AT IT WHEN IT STOPPED RETRACTING. CAR WAS IN FOR AN OIL CHANGE. HE ADVISED ME THAT THE SEAT BELF WILL NOT FUNCTION IF I WERE IN AN ACCIDENT, OFFERING NO DRIVER RESTRAINT. BASICLY THE CAR IS NOT SAFE TO DRIVE.*AK

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 1997 FORD MUSTANG COBRA, Manufacturer: Ford Motor Company
Incident: Aug 2005
Mar 2005

SEAT BELTS ON DRIVER'S SIDE FAILED ABOUT 2 YEARS AGO AND WERE REPLACE DWITH ONE FROM JUNK YARD. NOW THE ONE ON THE PASSENGER SIDE IS LOCKED UP (BELT WON'T EXTEND). THIS IS ON A 1997 FORD MUSTANG V-6. *AK

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 1997 FORD MUSTANG, Manufacturer: Ford Motor Company
Incident: Oct 2005
May 2004

THE FRONT SEAT BELTS IN THIS VEHICLE DOES NOT LOCK DURING AND EMERGENCY. PLEASE PROVIDE ANY ADDITIONAL INFORMATION. *NM

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 1997 FORD MUSTANG CONVERTIBLE, Manufacturer: Ford Motor Company
Incident: May 2004
Mar 2003 Injury

BOTH FRONT SEAT BELTS ARE JAMMED AND WILL NOT RETRACT. I HAVE ALWAYS HAD THIS PROBLEM WITH BOTH BELTS, BUT HAVE ALWAYS MANAGED TO HAVE THEM RETRACT BACK. NOW BOTH BELTS ARE SITTING IN THE FRONT SEATS AS BOTH BELTS ARE TOO SHORT TO FASTEN WHEN DRIVING. THIS IS A HUGE PROBLEM AND IS DANGEROUS TO BOTH FRONT SEAT PASSENGERS. NLM

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 1997 FORD MUSTANG, Manufacturer: Ford Motor Company
Incident: Jun 2003
Jul 2002

DRIVER'S SIDE SHOULDER BELT IS FRAYING WITH BELT EXTENDED, NOT ABLE TO RETRACT BACK THROUGH SLEEVE. PLEASE DESCRIBE DETAILS.*AK

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 1997 FORD MUSTANG, Manufacturer: Ford Motor Company
May 2002

SEATBELTS ON BOTH SIDES WILL NOT RETRACT. PASSENGER'S SIDE SEATBELT COMPLETELY IS INOPERABLE. DEALER CONTACTED. *AK

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 1997 FORD MUSTANG, Manufacturer: Ford Motor Company
Dec 2001

FRONT SEAT BELTS FAIL TO RESTRAT AFTER BEING RELEASED. HAVE CONTACTED DEALERSHIP, AND WAS INFORMED BY SERVICE MANAGER THAT RETRACTOR HAD TO BE REPLACED.*AK

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 1997 FORD MUSTANG, Manufacturer: Ford Motor Company
Oct 2001

NO SUMMARY LISTED FOR ABOVE VEHICLE. *AK

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 1997 FORD MUSTANG, Manufacturer: Ford Motor Company
Incident: Jun 2001
Jul 2001

IN 1999 AT 37,000 MILES THE DRIVER'S SIDE SEAT BELT RETRACTOR FAILED. RECENTLY AT JUST UNDER 50,000 MILES THE PASSENGER SEAT BELT RETRACTOR FAILED. THE CAR WAS BROUGHT TO THE DEALER, CAPITOL FORD AT 50,471 MILES. THE DEALER STATED THAT BECAUSE THE MILEAGE EXCEEDED 50,000 IT WOULD NOT BE REPAIRED UNDER WARRANTY. THE FACT THAT WE HAVE AN EXTENDED SERVICE PLAN WARRANTY DID NOT CHANGE FORD'S RESPONSE. I AM CONTACTING YOU NOW BECAUSE I FEEL THAT FORD MOTOR COMPANY IS BEING UNREASONABLE REGARDING THE WARRANTY REPAIR OF THIS IMPORTANT SAFETY FEATURE. THESE SEATBELTS SHOULD NEVER FAIL AND THE FACT THAT BOTH OF THEM HAVE FAILED SEEMS TO POINT TO A DEFECT THAT SHOULD TRIGGER A RECALL. YOUR ASSISTANCE IN THIS MATTER WILL BE GREATLY APPRECIATED.*AK

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 1997 FORD MUSTANG, Manufacturer: Ford Motor Company
Incident: Jan 2001
May 2001

SEATBELT RESTRAINT HAS COMPLETELY BROKEN AFTER BEING DIFFICULT TO RETRACT.*AK

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 1997 FORD MUSTANG, Manufacturer: Ford Motor Company
Incident: Apr 2000
Mar 2001

SEAT BELT JAMS IN GUIDE OVER DRIVERS SHOULDER BY FOLDING OVER AND BECOMMING TOO WIDE FOR THE GUIDE SLOT. THIS RENDERS THE SEATBELT USELESS IN A CRASH. FORD MOTOR CO AND DEALER HAVE IGNORED MY REQUESTS TO MAKE THE REPAIR. IT IS VERY DANGEROIUS.

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 1997 FORD MUSTANG, Manufacturer: Ford Motor Company
Jan 2001

FRONT SEAT BELTS FAILED TO RETRACT BACK TO ORIGINAL POSITION AFTER USEAGE. TOOK TO DEALER , AND MECHANIC INDICATED NOTHING WAS WRONG AFTER PUTTING BELTS BACK. HAS SINCE REAPPEARED A WEEK LATER. *AK

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 1997 FORD MUSTANG, Manufacturer: Ford Motor Company
Dec 2000

SEAT BELT HAS ALWAYS HAD A PROBLEM WITH RETRACTING. IT HAS NOW BEEN PULLED OUT ALL THE WAY AND WILL NOT GO BACK IN. IT CANNOT BE USED IN THIS CONDITION AS IT POSES A SAFETY PROBLEM. DEALER HAS SAID A NEW SEAT BELT RETRACTING UNIT IS REQUIRED AND IT IS $90 PLUS $127.50 TO INSTALL. *AK

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 1997 FORD MUSTANG, Manufacturer: Ford Motor Company
Incident: Dec 2000
Nov 2000

I PURCHASED THE FORD MUSTANG COBRA DURING JULY, 1997, AND CURRENTLY HAVE 16,850 MILES. THE DRIVER'S SIDE SEAT BELT HAS WORN AT THE POING WHERE IT RETRACTS INTO THE FLOOR SUCH THAT IT MAY BREAK AT ANY TIME, ESPECIALLY IN THE EVENT OF AN ACCIDENT. BECAUSE OF THE WEAR LOCATION ON THIS SEATBELT, IT WOULD NOT NORMALLY BE NOTICED BY THE DRIVER. I WAS UNAWARE OF THIS UNSAFE BELT UNTIL SOMEONE OUTSIDE THE CAR WHILE THE DOOR WAS OPEN, AND WHILE I HAD MY SEAT BELT FASTENED, POINTED OUT THIS UNSAFE CONDITION. I HAVE NOTIFIED FORD MOTOR COMPANY CUSTOMER ASSISTANCE CENTER BY LETTER DATED OCTOBER 30, 2000, REQUESTING GUIDANCE. FORD HAS NOT RESPONDED TO MY INFORMATION AND REQUEST FOR ASSISTANCE. *AK

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 1997 FORD MUSTANG, Manufacturer: Ford Motor Company
Oct 2000 Crash Injury

NO SUMMARY LISTED FOR ABOVE VEHICLE. *AK

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 1997 FORD MUSTANG, Manufacturer: Ford Motor Company
Apr 2000

SEAT BELT BADLY WORN FROM SHARP PLASTIC COVER AND SHARP SPRING ROLLER, NOT APPARANT UNLESS BELT PULLED OUT (DIRVER WOULD NOT NORMALLY NOTICE). *AK

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 1997 FORD MUSTANG, Manufacturer: Ford Motor Company
Incident: Apr 2000
Sep 1999

SEAT BELTS JAM, DON'T RETRACT, CAN'T PULL OUT TO PUT ON. SEAT BELT MATERIAL FOLDS OVER CAUSING DOUBLING OF FABRIC AND JAMMING IN GUIDE MECHANISM.

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 1997 FORD MUSTANG, Manufacturer: Ford Motor Company
Sep 1999

SEAT BELT ON THE DRIVER'S SIDE DOES NOT RETRACT. THE BELT IS HANGING OUT OF MECHANISM. THE DEALER HAS BEEN NOTIFIED ABOUT THE PROBLEM. THE PROBLEM HAS NOT BEEN CORRECTED. *AK

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 1997 FORD MUSTANG, Manufacturer: Ford Motor Company
Incident: Jun 1999
Jan 1999

SEAT BELT JAMMED. NLM

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 1997 FORD MUSTANG, Manufacturer: Ford Motor Company

Trend Over Time

Complaints by year

Quick Summary

The 1997 Ford Mustang has 20 Seat Belts complaints on file. 2 crashes have been reported. Review the timeline above for detailed owner experiences.